This invention relates generally to wind turbine generators and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for operating wind turbine generators.
Wind energy is sometimes used to generate electrical power via some known wind turbine generators (WTGs) using the rotation of large wind turbines to drive electrical generators. Pluralities of WTGs are sometimes congregated within a predetermined geographical region to form power plants. Such power plants are often referred to as wind farms or wind power plants. Because wind speed and direction may change with time, electric power output from the generators of a wind farm may also change with time. Generally, such wind farms are integrated into an electric power system. A group of electric power systems, other electric power plants, and associated infrastructure spread over a geographical region is sometimes referred to as a grid. Such other electric power plants are typically plants that generate electric power from coal, steam, a combustible fluid, water, and/or solar energy and may also include, but are not limited to, gas turbine power stations, nuclear power plants, or even other wind farms. Variations in electric power output from such wind farms may cause variations not only in an amount of electric power flowing from the wind farm but also the frequency of the grid to which the electrical power is delivered for subsequent consumption thereof. A decrease in electric power output from the wind farm may cause a deficiency in electric power delivered to a local region of the grid in which the wind farm is embedded, as well as electric power delivered to other areas of the grid.